Various types of clips, including U- or J-shaped clips are generally known for use in coupling and/or fastening parts together into a coupling or joint. One known type of vehicle is a pick-up truck having a body on frame construction. In one generally known application, a bed of a pickup truck is supported on a vehicle frame. Attempts to reduce the weight of the pickup truck have included making the bedframe of the pickup truck from lighter materials such as aluminum. However, dissimilar materials forming the joint—an aluminum cross member supported on a steel frame member—has potential to lead to a galvanic reaction and corrosion. Generally, an insulating barrier member has been located between the dissimilar material members so that contact between the parts of the joint only occurs between similar materials thereby reducing the potential for galvanic interaction and corrosion of the joint resulting in a shortened usefulness. It may be possible to coat the various parts of the members of the joint with an insulating barrier to reduce the potential for interaction between members formed from dissimilar materials.
Sometimes, a mechanical fastener or coupler is used to secure the joint between the frame of the bed of the pickup truck, which is made from one material such as aluminum, and the vehicle frame, which is made from another material such as ferrous steel. Since the mechanical fastener or coupler may also be made from only one of these metal materials (and not the other), a portion of it will necessarily come in contact with a member made from a dissimilar material thereby resulting in potential galvanic corrosion. Attempts to avoid contact between dissimilar materials have included coating such fasteners and couplers as well as to make more complex devices. These approaches, however, require a quality initial production installation and may be disturbed due to occasional service during the life of the product, during which the coating or other material intended to prevent contact between dissimilar metal materials may be damaged, removed, or omitted.